"THE WORKING HOUR" TEARS FOR FEARS (1985)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Songs from the Big Chair contained absolutely massive hits. Songs that defined an era, including “Shout”, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and “Head Over Heels”. But the album also showed us the band’s penchant for creating beyond the four-minute pop single. TFF could do new wave and straight-ahead pop in their sleep. But I think some of their more impressive work are those grander explorations where they saunter along the edges of jazz and classical. One of the best examples of this is “The Working Hour”.

It may not be the song that grabs you right away off that album, but, for me, it has the most staying power of any track on Songs from the Big Chair. The saxophone — and the grand piano to a lesser extent — were instruments that certainly thrived in the 80s. But TFF was using them in arrangements and executions that were uniquely their own. “The Working Hour” doles out sweeping soundscapes, key changes and instrumental jazz solos. It’s delightful. Grand. And timeless.

“Find out, find out, what this fear is about.”

"CHANGE" TEARS FOR FEARS (1982)

As an eighties kid, synth pop has been pumping in my blood ever since that first day I turned on my MTV. There’s some debate as to who’s considered a synth pop band and who isn’t. For this September Music Twitter challenge – #SynthPopSeptember – I’m focusing more on what’s considered synth pop, not who. The songs I’m featuring on Mental Jukebox this month aren’t solely composed of synthesizers. There may be drums, bass, and dare I say, electric guitars. But each of these songs were picked because the synthesizer is core to its being.

In the early to mid eighties, Tears For Fears were as solid a band as you could get. Getting The Hurting and Songs From The Big Chair back to back was a treat for music fans like me who wanted the synthesizers to play a more prominent role. TFF knew their way around pop (“Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, “Pale Shelter”). They knew their way around more jazzier arrangements (“The Working Hour” and later “Woman In Chains”). They delved into the experimental (“The Prisoner”, “Listen”). And they always knew the power of a strong hook: “Change”, “Mad World”, “Mother’s Talk”, “Shout”, the list goes on.

“Change” lives and dies on that manic synth hook that opens the song, holds up the middle, and closes things up. Despite being so representative of the era, it still holds up quite well after all these years. The guitar that comes in later in the track doesn’t compete with the synthesizers, it merely complements what has already been building. Now, I dare you to listen to “Change” without bobbing your head or tapping your foot.

“When it's all too late, It's all too late.”

"PALE SHELTER" TEARS FOR FEARS (1982)

The moment a song is born, the world is different. It’s now a part of our lives. We sing it in the shower. We dance to it at our wedding. We get pumped with it. We break up to it. We memorize it. We try to forget it. We rediscover it. This month, I’m joining Arron Wright’s Twitter music challenge: ##Popiversary2. Because why the hell not. Songs deserve their own anniversaries, too.

Year: 1982

Like many young kids in America during the eighties, my first exposure to Tears For Fears was Songs From The Big Chair, not The Hurting. Songs like “Shout”, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, “Head Over Heels” and “Mother’s Talk” were unavoidable if you had MTV. Each song had its own unique flavor, but all the flavors unmistakably came from the same chefs. Hearing Songs From The Big Chair first made the discovery of The Hurting that much more of a delight. It possesses an incredibly mature sound for a debut album, and “Change”, “Mad World” and “Pale Shelter” are still some of my favorite songs to this day.

“Pale Shelter” was one of two songs that Tears For Fears recorded as a demo that eventually got them a record deal. It was the song that got them noticed, and one of a handful of tracks that has earned them enormous respect among fans over the years. “Pale Shelter” is timeless. It doesn’t sound a day old, even 40 years later. TFF did it with the dual vocal attack from Smith and Orzabal, where backing vocals carry just as much weight as the lead parts. From the guitar strums to the keyboard swirls, every instrumental element glides and glistens on the song. “Pale Shelter” is produced to perfection.

“HOW CAN I BE SURE WHEN YOUR INTRUSION'S MY ILLUSION?”

"PALE SHELTER" TEARS FOR FEARS (1982)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

Like many young kids in America during the eighties, my first exposure to Tears For Fears was Songs From The Big Chair, not The Hurting. Songs like “Shout”, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, “Head Over Heels” and “Mother’s Talk” were unavoidable if you had MTV. Each song had its own unique flavor, but all the flavors unmistakably came from the same chefs. Hearing Songs From The Big Chair first made the discovery of The Hurting that much more of a delight. It possesses an incredibly mature sound for a debut album, and “Change”, “Mad World” and “Pale Shelter” are still some of my favorite songs to this day.

“Pale Shelter” was one of two songs that Tears For Fears recorded as a demo that eventually got them a record deal. It was the song that got them noticed, and one of a handful of tracks that has earned them enormous respect among fans over the years. “Pale Shelter” is timeless. It doesn’t sound a day old, even 40 years later. TFF did it with the dual vocal attack from Smith and Orzabal, where backing vocals carry just as much weight as the lead parts. From the guitar strums to the keyboard swirls, every instrumental element glides and glistens on the song. “Pale Shelter” is produced to perfection.

“How can I be sure when your intrusion's my illusion?”

"THE WORKING HOUR" TEARS FOR FEARS (1985)

For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs

Songs from the Big Chair contained absolutely massive hits. Songs that defined an era, including “Shout”, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and “Head Over Heels”. But the album also showed us the band’s penchant for creating beyond the four-minute pop single. TFF could do new wave and straight-ahead pop in their sleep. But I think some of their more impressive work are those grander explorations where they saunter along the edges of jazz and classical. One of the best examples of this is “The Working Hour”.

It may not be the song that grabs you right away off that album, but, for me, it has the most staying power of any track on Songs from the Big Chair. The saxophone — and the grand piano to a lesser extent — were instruments that certainly thrived in the 80s. But TFF was using them in arrangements and executions that were uniquely their own. “The Working Hour” doles out sweeping soundscapes, key changes and instrumental jazz solos. It’s delightful. Grand. And timeless.

“Find out, find out, what this fear is about.”

"EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD" TEARS FOR FEARS (1985)

This is TFF’s commentary on power, control and corruption. Penned in 1984, the lyrics resonate even more strongly in our current times and right now on Election Day. As a kid, I didn’t understand the themes, but I could hear them everywhere - on MTV, on the radio, in shopping malls, on my Sony cassette player. TFF belted out numerous great tracks during a powerful three-album stretch, and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was their signature song.

“Help me to decide. Help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure. Nothing ever lasts forever.”